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ESPN's Computer Model Releases College Football Top 25 For Week 0

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 8:48 AM ET

With the 2025 college football season set to kick off this Saturday afternoon, ESPN has unveiled its top 25 rankings for Week 0.

This season will begin with a showdown between Iowa State and Kansas State in Dublin, Ireland. It should be a strong quarterback duel, that's for sure. The Cyclones have Rocco Becht, who completed 59.4% of his pass attempts last season for 3,505 yards and 25 touchdowns with nine interceptions. As for the Wildcats, they'll rely on junior quarterback Avery Johnson. He had 2,712 passing yards, 605 rushing yards, 32 total touchdowns and 10 interceptions during his 2024 campaign.

Since there won't be an episode of "College GameDay" on this Saturday, fans will have to enjoy a live edition of "College Football Countdown" for Week 0.

In the meantime, ESPN is keeping its fans engaged by releasing its updated FPI rankings heading into Week 0.

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA - OCTOBER 26: Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN GameDay commentator, speaks prior to the game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Washington Huskies at Memorial Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Bloomington, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Texas reigns supreme.

As of August 23, ESPN's Football Power Index has Texas (24.5) ranked above the rest of the competition by a comfortable margin.

In case people forget, the Football Power Index is "a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team's performance going forward." It takes 20,000 simulations into account and uses every weekly result.

Here's the full top 25:

Texas
Georgia
Alabama
Ohio State
Penn State
Notre Dame
Oregon
Tennessee
Texas A&M
Ole Miss
South Carolina
LSU
Florida
USC
Michigan
Clemson
Miami
Kansas State
SMU
Oklahoma
Auburn
BYU
Missouri
Arizona State
Indiana

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 01: Arch Manning #16 of the Texas Longhorns warms up prior to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Arizona State Sun Devils at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 01, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

ESPN's rankings will change after Week 1.

While we're certainly glad that college football is back, there probably won't be chaos until Week 1 arrives.

Believe it or not, Texas and Ohio State will square off next Saturday. Since both teams are firmly in the top five, the outcome of that game should impact ESPN's rankings. The same thing can be said about Alabama's showdown with Florida State. An upset loss for the Crimson Tide would negatively impact their ranking.

Last but certainly not least, LSU will take on Clemson next Saturday night. That'll be must-see TV, especially since Garrett Nussmeier and Cade Klubnik are NFL-caliber quarterbacks.

Once those three matchups are over, ESPN's FPI will undoubtedly shake up its top 25. We can't wait to see the carnage.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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